Pub goes kosher in bid to attract Jewish community

by Josh Pettitt, reporter Saturday, December 31, 2011 A pub in Barnet has ushered in the New Year with the resolution of becoming a totally kosher establishment.

But traditional pub staples such as English breakfasts and Sunday lunches will hold their place on the menu – albeit as a kosher version. The Castle, which previously sold itself as north London’s “premier events venue”, has been awarded a kosher licence by the Federation of Synagoues.Baileys has been removed from the bar at the Childs Hill establishment and the wine list overhauled by the local rabbi who carried out an inspection of the pub’s liquid offerings. The Castle in Finchley Road waves goodbye to its image as a boozer and aspires to become a hub for the Jewish community.

Head chef Ashley Josephs said: “We decided this would better serve the community around us and we’re going to be one of the few pubs this side of Israel to put on a kosher Sunday lunch.“We’re really starting from scratch. All the food preparation will be supervised to make sure only natural ingredients are used and no foreign objects are being mixed in.“We already have a large client base which we didn’t want to lose. But we have to adapt and at the same time we have to bring in the majority of the community around us.”

The pub will also stay open on the Sabbath but the management only plans on selling bar snacks. Mr Josephs added that the pub had already taken bookings for “very large functions” and the pub is hoping on holding wedding receptions.